No fewer than 24 people have been killed by bandits in separate attacks on Jikamshi and Gwalgoro communities in Musawa and Kankia local government areas, respectively, in Katsina State.

The latest incident occurred on Monday evening at Jikamshi market, where seven people were shot dead as traders were closing for the day. This comes as military neutralised 45 terrorists during a gun battle with bandits terrorising the Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Witnesses said about 15 armed men riding motorcycles stormed the market, opened fire, and looted goods worth millions of naira.

A resident and chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Musawa LGA confirmed that the victims had been buried according to Islamic rites.

He described the attack as devastating and called for urgent intervention by authorities.

“The scale of the attack is enormous. We believe in the efforts of the state government, but the situation is beyond its control. There must be moral, financial and military support from the federal government,” he said.

Among those killed was Tukur Aliyu, who had just returned from Lagos after attending his daughter’s wedding. Family sources said he left behind three wives, about 20 children and several dependents.

One of his wives, who spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented the family’s uncertain future.

“Our lives are in danger now. He was our breadwinner, struggling to keep the family going. Now he is gone, we don’t know how we will survive,” she said.

Rabi’u Ashiru, 35, a trader dealing in phones and recharge cards, was also killed in his shop at Bakin Kasuwa, Jikamshi. His wedding was scheduled to take place in a few months, it was gathered.

His father, Ashiru Ba Zama, said the loss had left the family devastated.

“We are completely confused. We have lost a pillar of the family. He paid school fees, fed us and catered to our needs. We don’t know what to do,” he said, fighting back tears.

A former member of the Jikamshi security committee, Bilyaminu Abubakar, who recently relocated to Katsina city due to insecurity, described the attacks as a calculated effort to destabilise the region.

“Those who claimed to have repented but did not lay down their arms are still terrorising our communities. Authorities are aware, but nothing tangible is being done,” he alleged.

Another victim of the Jikamshi attack, Umar Salisu, 55, left behind about 16 children and two wives. The family described the attack as the worst thing that had ever happened to them.

Salisu’s wife, Amina, lamented the attack saying the family had been devastated.

“Let me tell you we’re finished; the future of this family is uncertain,” she added.

Salisu’s friend, Nura Jikamshi, called on the authorities to intervene immediately to prevent humanitarian crises. “I want to appeal for support for the families of the deceased,” he said.

17 killed in Kankia LGA

In a separate attack over the weekend, about 17 residents of Gwalgoro village in Kankia LGA were reportedly killed by bandits. Many women and children have since fled the area for safety.The incident happened on Saturday.

While the Katsina State government said 11 people were killed during the attack, residents insisted that they lost 17 people.

A resident who preferred not to be mentioned for security reasons said that they had buried 17 of their loved ones, according to the Islamic injunction.

“Death or killing is not something you can exaggerate for whatever reason, morally and religiously, so the exact number is 17 as I told you,” the resident said.

However, the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Mu’azu, said 11 people were killed following a reprisal by bandits, hours after security forces succeeded in foiling an earlier assault and neutralised several members of the gang.

According to him, the violence began on May 2, when intelligence reports revealed that a notorious bandit leader, identified as Mohammadu, was leading armed men towards key bridges in Kankia Local Government Area.

Upon receiving the information, members of the community alerted security agencies.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Kankia subsequently mobilised and led a joint security team to intercept the attackers. Security operatives engaged the bandits in a confrontation, neutralising several of them and recovering eight motorcycles as well as rustled cattle. The statement said the recovered items are currently in police custody.

According to the commissioner, the bandits later regrouped and, in retaliation for the losses suffered, launched a fresh attack on Gwalgoro village in Gyaza/Kunduru Ward at about noon the same day.

During the attack, 11 residents were killed in what the government described as a “cowardly assault on innocent civilians.”

Residents protest attack, demand action

Residents of Jikamshi town took to the streets in protest following the deadly bandit attack. Witnesses accounts indicated that the gunmen operated in groups to divert attention during the attack.One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some of the attackers initially engaged members of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps (C-WATCH) who attempted to stop them by pursuing the security men away.

He stated that after evading the local security teaam, the other group of attackers reportedly advanced into the town and began shooting at residents.

He revealed that among the victims were a man returning from the market on a motorcycle, a driver, a woman seated behind him in the car, and a young child.

He further revealed that the gunmen also targeted traders at the local market, where at least five people were shot, including a phone charging vendor and a man said to have been preparing for his daughter’s wedding.

However, a community source said members of the Community Watch Corps managed to neutralise one of the attackers, although his body was later retrieved by his accomplices, who took him away.

In the aftermath of the attack, angry youths staged a protest, blocking major roads, burning tyres and restricting movement along the axis.

Although travellers were later allowed to pass, a vehicle suspected to belong to government officials was reportedly vandalised, as demonstrators expressed frustration over what they described as inadequate government response to recurring attacks.

Residents called on authorities to urgently strengthen security in the area, including the deployment of additional personnel and the establishment of a mobile police camp.

“We need a stronger security presence. This situation is beyond the capacity of the Community Watch Corps. We appreciate the armoured vehicle provided earlier, but more needs to be done,” a resident said.

The Katsina State Police Command confirmed the Gwalgoro attack but had yet to comment on the Jikamshi incident as of the time of filing this report.

Police authorities, however, said joint security operatives had been deployed and were pursuing the perpetrators.

“There will be no hiding place for criminals in Katsina State,” the command assured.

A Katsina-based security analyst, Abubakar Ibrahim, described the resurgence of attacks as troubling and suggested possible political undertones.

“Whenever elections approach, some actors take advantage of insecurity. If not properly addressed, this crisis may persist for a long time,” he said.

The chairman of Northern People Civil Society, Jamilu Aliyu Chiranchi, said it is unfortunate that government officials are now more concerned with politicking than with their social responsibilities to protect lives and property.

He added that it’s unfortunate that residents are allowed to bear their woes alone. He said people should have a way to defend themselves.

Over 40 people killed in 2 months

In the last two months, between March and May, 2026, over 40 people have been killed in Katsina State, according to media reports collated by Daily Trust.

The killings were largely driven by banditry, reprisal attacks, and the collapse of local peace arrangements.

On April 27, two people were killed when gunmen launched coordinated raids on Gidan Sarkin Noma and Gidan Wa’u settlements in Guga Ward Bakori LGA.

Mahadi Guga, a resident, said about 20 men riding on 10 motorcycles stormed the communities around 6:30 p.m, killing at least two residents, including Sabiu Mubarak.

The attackers reportedly burned homes, destroyed food storage facilities, rustled livestock, and looted properties.

A day earlier, on April 26, no fewer than 11 persons were killed in a renewed bandit attack in Gurbi village of Kankara LGA.

Police spokesperson in the state, Abubakar Sadiq, in a statement, said bandits attacked the village and fatally shot 11 persons, while two others sustained varying degrees of injury before the arrival of security agencies.

On receipt of the distress call, a joint security team comprising the police, military, and other sister security agencies, led by the DPO, promptly mobilised to the scene. The assailants fled on sighting the advancing security forces.”

A policeman was killed and two civilians wounded after bandits armed with weapons on Sunday, April 5, launched coordinated attacks on two communities in Matazu LGA.

The assailants stormed Sayaya town in Matazu, set the community health care centre ablaze, looted shops and burnt several major stores in the town.

Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the gunmen invaded the area, ambushed the police station and killed a policeman.

On March 17, the villages of Falale and Kadobe in Jibia LGA were attacked and 15 people were killed.

Nasir Mu’azu, the state’s Commissioner for Home Affairs, said local security forces had previously killed three gunmen during a firefight in the area. In retaliation, gunmen carried out a reprisal on Tuesday, killing at least 15 people.

“Security forces have since restored order and stabilized the situation,” he said in a statement. “We appeal to residents to remain calm and allow security forces to complete their investigation.”

On March 10, at least 14 people were killed and several others were injured following two separate attacks by bandits in Dandume and Musawa LGAs.

The attacks, which occurred in Dansoda and Jikamshi communities of Dandume and Musawa LGAs, respectively, threw the affected communities into panic as gunmen reportedly opened fire on residents and looted properties. A resident of Dansoda, Kabir Adamu, said 11 people were killed on the spot.

In the Jikamshi community, the suspected bandits killed three residents and left 11 others with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.

A resident of the area, Suleiman Ibrahim, said the hoodlums operated in the area for more than an hour, during which they looted shops and carted away food items and other valuables worth millions of naira.

Troops of the Nigerian Army killed 45 terrorists during the gun battle with bandits terrorising the Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State on March 6.

A captain and two soldiers also died in the gun duel, according to a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mua’zu.

The statement said, “Among those killed was Alti, the nephew and second-in-command to the notorious bandit leader, Adamu Alieru. Also eliminated was another top bandit known as Damale.

“The clash began when bandits from Zamfara State, armed with sophisticated weapons and riding on motorcycles, attacked Alhazawa village in Musawa LGA on March 5. They came to steal cattle.

“However, community members and repentant bandits from the area fought back. Four bandits were killed, and all the rustled cows were recovered and returned to their owners.

“Seeking revenge, the bandits returned in large numbers on March 6. They ran into soldiers attached to the Army’s Forward Operating Base in Dan Ali while heading towards Musawa LGA near Maidabino A ward.

“What followed was an intense and fierce battle. The Army successfully neutralised all 45 bandits. However, the victory came at a cost. Captain Paul Hassan and two other soldiers lost their lives in the encounter,” he added. (Daily Trust)

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